Social Extortion and the Borg

We live in an interesting time of contradiction.  We are a people of diversity and multiculturalism, and we as a nation are encouraged to be tolerant and accepting of people and beliefs that are different from us. On the surface this is a great idea, but sadly the ugly underbelly is that only SOME people are expected to be tolerant and accepting.

No doubt some of you think I'm talking about Christians versus Muslim extremists, and, considering recent events, that does apply.  However,  for the purpose of this blog, I'm talking about the venom and animosity directed at conservatives.  In general (here's my disclaimer ... not all liberals, just the loud ones), liberals are not expected to display that same courtesy, acceptance, and tolerance demanded of conservatives.

There's an old saying: If a conservative doesn't like guns, he doesn't own one, if a liberal doesn't like guns he doesn't want anyone to own one. That, in a nutshell, is what has happened to our society ... we are split in two, those who simply don't participate in what they don't like, and those who want to squash what they don't like, preventing anyone else from participating either.

For example, liberals can mock people of faith, call them all kinds of names, and accuse them of "clinging to their guns and religion." Conservatives typically go on their merry way living their lives following their faith and knowing that those who make such comments come from a place of judgmentalism and ignorance. They move along. But if a single radio talk show host asks if a college coed demanding free birth control is a slut, the world explodes into irrationality and demands the host be taken off the air and punished for his transgression against their opinion .... that a single woman going to a $45,000/year law school is somehow entitled to free birth control without objection.

From these types of activists there exists a complete lack of respect for anyone's opinion that differs from theirs.  Those who disagree with their supreme opinion must be either assimilated or destroyed. Specific examples as of late include Chick-fil-A, the Boy Scouts, and the Catholic church.

Chick-fil-A donates both money and chicken sandwiches to non-profit organizations as part of their business plan. For including traditional marriage groups in their contributions, they have been vilified, protested against, and (illegally) threatened by city leaders and politicians. It isn't enough that there are dozens of other chicken places liberals could support instead, they had to squash Chick-fil-A for daring to support something other than gay marriage ... even though it isn't even legal in more than 40 states. The heck with those organizations that benefit from the financial and food contributions, Chick-fil-A must be damaged for not conforming to the liberally approved agenda.

The Boy Scouts of America is a private, religion-based, 501c3 service organization. It has produced Presidents, astronauts, and a great many leaders and heroes of our country. But Boy Scouting does not think it's appropriate to have homosexual leaders, and as a private organization they are entitled to their position whether or not we agree. However, they have been targeted for not supporting the gay agenda. The Boy Scouts are being punished by trying to get them kicked out of United Way (unsuccessfully), getting them thrown out of public parks for meetings and camping (no matter the mutually beneficial relationship) and corporate sponsors have been so heavily bullied that scouts lose their financial support.  Intel is the most recent victim of such social extortion. Boy Scouts will feel that financial loss, and there now may be boys in lower income communities who now won't be able to be involved in boy scouting.  The heck with them, Boy Scouts must be damaged for not conforming to the liberally approved agenda.

There are other chicken restaurants, there are other service organizations. Why can't such activists direct supporters of gay marriage and gay leaders to other businesses and organizations? Sadly, the answer appears to be that they truly don't care if a service or business is provided for our communities or what benefits they bring, if their liberal opinion is not embraced, the business/organization will be targeted for destruction.

Due to this kind of social extortion fewer boys can have scouting experiences and fewer jobs will become available in cities that sorely need new businesses.  The myopia involved in this kind of thinking and activism is staggering.

Also targeted in this battle is the Catholic church. This is even more heinous as our government is involved in overruling the church's right to sponsor hospitals and universities following the precepts of their own faith, forcing them to provide birth control and abortions within their health insurance coverage. The church's choice will ultimately come down to not offering health insurance at all, violating their faith and providing the birth control and abortions, or closing these facilities. Why? Because adherence to religious faith over the government's demands will not be tolerated, and that, my friends, is a blatant violation of our First Amendment rights.

Damaging the Boy Scouts, Chick-fil-A, or the Catholic church ultimately brings no benefit to society. It only feeds the self-importance this type of activism promotes, and it is harmful in how it removes services and opportunities for our communities. Why can't they just choose to go to KFC, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and public hospitals? Because that is not the purpose of their actions ... you aren't allowed to disagree with their ideas, their beliefs, their opinions. If you do, they are entitled to destroy you, and the hell with those who lose services and job opportunities over it.

Social extortion is essentially the Borg. Resistance is futile, assimilate or you will be destroyed.